Written Answers Monday 24 July 2006

Scottish Executive

Energy Efficiency

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why new public sector buildings, including hospitals, are not eligible for grants or assistance to encourage the inclusion of energy efficiency measures similar those available for private sector construction projects.

Allan Wilson: New public sector buildings, including hospitals, are eligible for assistance from the Carbon Trust’s design advice scheme, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of buildings at the design stage.

  Eligible public sector organisations, including local authorities, the NHS and Scottish Water, can apply for funding though the central energy efficiency fund (CEEF) for the inclusion of energy efficiency measures in new builds which will achieve higher energy efficiency standards than those required under Scottish Building regulations.

Health

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what approved independent sector health treatment centres there are and how many elective procedures are expected to be carried out annually at each centre.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are currently no independent sector treatment centres in Scotland. A procurement is currently underway by NHS Tayside for an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital, which is scheduled to be operational in the autumn of this year.

  The Scottish Executive does not approve or contract directly with independent sector providers for the treatment of NHS patients. Precise contract details are negotiated and held at local NHS board level and are not held centrally.

Health

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to determine the allocation of resources to independent sector health treatment centres and what account it takes of the distance between facilities providing similar services.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are currently no independent sector treatment centres in Scotland. A procurement is currently underway by NHS Tayside for an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital, which is scheduled to be operational in the autumn of this year.

  Fair to All, Personal to Each, published in December 2004, pledged £45 million over three years to negotiate contracts with the independent healthcare sector to enable NHS patients to receive their operations more quickly. The Executive, through the National Waiting Times Unit, has allocated this funding to NHS boards on an Arbuthnott formula basis, to purchase additional capacity from the independent sector.

  The Scottish Executive does not contract directly with independent healthcare sector providers for the treatment of NHS patients. Precise contract details are negotiated and held at local NHS board level and are not held centrally.

House Prices

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average percentage increases in houses prices have been in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006 in the (i) IV52 (Plockton), (ii) IV9 (Avoch), (iii) KW1 (Wick), (iv) KW12 (Halkirk), (v) KW9 (Brora), (vi) IV17 (Alness), (vii) IV27 (north-west Sutherland), (viii) HS1 (Stornoway), (ix) IV51 (Portree), (x) IV12 (Cawdor), (xi) IV31 (Lossiemouth), (xii) KW17 (Westray), (xiii) ZE2 (west Shetland) and (xiv) PA34 (Oban) postcode areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: Table 1 provides the percentage increase in annual average house prices between 2003 and 2004 and between 2004 and 2005 for each of the postcode districts listed. Information is not yet available on average house prices for 2006. The analysis uses information provided by the Land Value Information Unit (LVIU) at Paisley University. LVIU in turn source their data from Registers of Scotland. The analysis excludes all sales with a value of less than £20,000 and over £1 million with the aim of excluding non market sales and non residential commercial sales.

  Table 2 shows the number of transactions in each year included in the analysis. Percentages based on a small number of transactions provide a less reliable indication of underlying changes in values.

  Table 1: Percentage Increase in Annual Average Price of Sales over Previous Year

  

Postcode District
2003-2004
2004-2005


HS1
33%
31%


IV12
23%
18%


IV17
12%
12%


IV27
45%
7%


IV31
18%
15%


IV51
28%
12%


IV52
19%
74%


IV9
24%
29%


KW1
10%
8%


KW12
25%
19%


KW17
15%
34%


KW9
33%
70%


PA34
18%
29%


ZE2
18%
8%



  Table 2: Number of Sales on Which Analysis in Table 1 is Based.

  

Postcode District
2003
2004
2005


HS1
94
69
83


IV12
335
232
378


IV17
77
67
99


IV27
62
54
78


IV31
172
114
177


IV51
85
104
92


IV52
7
6
3


IV9
13
19
35


KW1
131
136
170


KW12
33
27
34


KW17
139
145
146


KW9
42
37
60


PA34
253
215
256


ZE2
134
169
134

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been for rape in each of the last 20 years.

Hugh Henry: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against for Rape1, in Scottish Courts, 1985-86 to 2004-05

  

Year
Number


1985-86
86


1986-87
65


1987-88
70


1988-89
93


1989-90
63


1990-91
60


1991-92
68


1992-93
63


1993-94
76


1994-95
46


1995-96
53


1996-97
78


1997-98
61


1998-99
66


1999-00
55


2000-01
52


2001-02
67


2002-03
58


2003-04
78


2004-05
88



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were treated by the NHS for wounds caused by (a) a knife, (b) a dagger, (c) a sword, (d) other types of bladed article and (e) a firearm in each year since 1997; of these, what proportion were (i) male and (ii) female, and how many of these were admitted to hospital as emergency cases, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is given in a document patients discharged from hospital who have been treated for a wound caused by a knife, sword, dagger, other bladed articles or firearms, 1997-2005 a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 40057).

Justice

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Independent): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been asked to take a breathalyser test in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by gender.

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Independent): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have failed a breathalyser test in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by gender.

Hugh Henry: Data on the number of people who have been asked to take a breathalyser test, and the number of those who have failed a breathalyser test are not available centrally.

  The information provided by the police refers to the number of cases recorded where an individual is in charge of a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs, or has failed to provide a specimen for testing. Because there are several different preliminary tests (preliminary breath test, preliminary impairment test, and preliminary drug test), and the police officer involved may administer any one or more of these, the number of such incidents does not relate directly to the number of times that a breathalyser test has been carried out. Furthermore, the data is collected at an aggregate level, so details of individual crimes, such as the gender of the individual, are not available.

  Number of Motoring Crimes and Offences Involving Driving and Drink or Drugs, 2000-01 to 2004-05

  

Offence
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
1
2
11
5
2


Driving motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs
799
990
940
828
769


In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs
126
121
133
151
17


Driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit
7,161
7,726
7,892
7,837
7,465


In charge of motor vehicle while blood alcohol content above limit
349
445
488
507
548


Failure to provide breath specimen at roadside
917
881
1,014
915
941


Failure to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at police station
1,406
1,313
1,371
1,333
1,321


Total 
10,759
11,478
11,849
11,576
11,063

Marine Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26371 by Rhona Brankin on 8 June 2006, whether Forth Ports plc acts as a Scottish public authority in the exercise of its statutory duties as a harbour authority under Regulation 4 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and, if so, whether Forth Ports plc, acting as a competent authority, is required to release information relating to the appropriate assessment of plans or projects under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 under freedom of information legislation.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the question S2W-26818, answered on 23 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Expenditure

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the annual budget of (a) each NHS board and (b) the NHS was spent on managerial salaries and administration costs in (i) 1995-96, (b) 2000-01 and (iii) the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: The boards’ spending on managerial salaries and administration costs are taken from the previous parliamentary answer S2W-25425 and shown together in the following data. This includes expenditure on both administration and management costs.

  The definition of administration expenditure has changed over the period due to changes in accounting guidance and also in the configuration of the health service, particularly the dissolution of NHS trusts. Consequently the figures shown are not entirely comparable over these years. Expenditure on managerial salaries is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive and is therefore not separately analysed. Expenditure by each NHS board for 1995-96 is no longer held centrally so only total NHS expenditure is shown.

  The proportion of the annual budget of (a) each NHS board and (b) the NHS, that was spent on managerial salaries and administration costs is shown in the following table.

  

NHS Board
1995-96
2000-01
2004-05


Argyll and Clyde
-
6.4%
7.8%


Ayrshire and Arran
-
6.1%
5.6%


Borders
-
7.8%
8.5%


Dumfries and Galloway
-
6.9%
5.2%


Fife
-
6.1%
5.7%


Forth Valley
-
5.5%
6.1%


Grampian
-
7.1%
5.8%


Glasgow
-
8.2%
7.3%


Highland
-
6.2%
7.1%


Lanarkshire
-
7.3%
7.1%


Lothian
-
7.5%
7.1%


Orkney
-
6.9%
6.2%


Shetland
-
5.5%
8.4%


Tayside
-
9.1%
8.1%


Western Isles
-
8.2%
7.4%


NHS
9.2%
7.3%
6.9%

NHS Funding

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the formula used to allocate funding between NHS boards and, if so, whether it will provide the (a) details of, (b) reasons for and (c) timescale for any announcements in respect of such changes.

Mr Andy Kerr: The NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) was established in March 2005 to improve and refine the Arbuthnott Formula. Members were chosen through the public appointment process and Dr Karen Facey, a self-employed health policy consultant and non-executive Director of Forth Valley NHS Board acts as Chairman. The remit and membership of NRAC was detailed in my answer to question S2W-14556 answered on 21 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Over the summer of 2005, the Committee consulted with a number of NHS boards to assess what issues they have with the current Formula and identify criteria that NHS boards consider a successful Formula could be measured against. To inform the work undertaken by NRAC, the issues were collated into groups and a summary of the issues and an outline of the proposed handling of the evidence was published on the NRAC website (www.nrac.scot.nhs.uk). Individual responses will not be given to Boards, but issues will be considered as research progresses and new elements of the allocation formula are created.

  Research has been undertaken during the past six months to determine how the Formula could be improved. The areas of research include demography (population measurement and how age/sex cost weights for Care Programmes are assessed); morbidity and life circumstances; and the excess costs of supply (including remoteness). This research is currently being finalised.

  The Committee will issue these research reports on its website in early July, with an overview document summarising the key issues, presenting options and raising questions. Engagement and feedback will be sought mainly with NHSScotland, but also other interested parties including, for example, the Royal Colleges, BMA and COSLA.

  The Committee intends to submit its Report to Ministers in June 2007. Any agreed changes will be taken into account in 2008-09 allocations, at the earliest.

NHS Funding

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made available the criteria used to determine the allocation of NHS funding between NHS board and, if so, where the details may be obtained.

Mr Andy Kerr: Funds are allocated to NHS boards on the basis of the formula set out in Fair Shares for All – the final report of the National Review of Resource Allocation for the NHS in Scotland (the Arbuthnott review) which was published on 7 September 2000. The report is available on the Scottish Executive Internet site at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/10/19142752/27522

  The formula is based on four main indicators – the size of each health board population; the profile of each health board population in terms of age and sex; the levels of ill health and life circumstances found in each health board; and the unavoidable excess costs of delivering services in rural and remote areas.

NHS Services

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of staffing and financial resources have been devoted to genetic services in the NHS in each year since 2003, broken down by (a) category of test and (b) geographical location.

Mr Andy Kerr: The clinical genetics services, together with the routine cytogenetic laboratory services are commissioned at NHS board level, thus the Executive does not have central information on the staffing and financial resources allocated to these elements of NHS genetic services.

  The molecular genetic laboratory service is provided by the four laboratories of the Scottish Molecular Genetics Consortium (SMGC) which are based in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow and is centrally funded.

  The following table sets out the staffing and expenditure on the Molecular Genetics service from 2003 to 2006. The staffing figures include all staff employed on these budgets.

  Information broken down by category of test is not available.

  National Services Division Scottish Molecular Genetics Laboratories Expenditure and Staff 2003-06

  

Years
Whole Time Equivalent (Laboratory Staff Including Clerical)
Payment Sheet Totals (£)


Yorkhill
Lothian
Tayside
Grampian
Yorkhill
Lothian
Tayside
Grampian
TOTAL (£)


2003-04
13.75
9.5
6.4
7
873,025
576,699
368,914
527,466
2,346,104


2004-05
14.25
11.9
7.9
7
970,020
694,398
352,375
472,826
2,489,619


2005-06
15.25
11.9
7.6
8.53
1,041,667
706,871
484,118
531,294
2,763,950


Board Payment Totals (£)
2,884,712
1,977,968
1,205,407
1,531,586
 



  Data Source: National Statistics Division.

NHS Services

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have undergone familial genetic testing and what the average waiting times have been for the results in each year since 2003, broken down by category of test.

Mr Andy Kerr: Within Scotland, four molecular genetics laboratories work together as the Scottish Molecular Genetic Consortium (SMGC) to provide testing for a range of inherited conditions, both relatively common disorders and rare genetic conditions for the Scottish population.

  The SMGC is a member of the UK wide Genetic Testing Network (GTN) and a list of the diseases for which tests are available can be accessed on the GTN website:

  http://www.ukgtn.org/gtn/index.html.

  The total number of patient reports issued by the SMGC since 2003 is noted in the following table.

  

2003-04
9,758


2004-05
11,902


2005-06
14,208



  The waiting time for results depends upon the test required and this information is not held centrally.

NHS Services

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to inform people who have had a genetic test about the progress of that test and about when they can expect to receive the result.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Molecular Genetics Consortium Clinical Users Group is working with the patients' representative group - the Genetics Interest Group - to develop good practice guidelines to ensure patients are kept fully informed about genetic testing and genetic test results.

NHS Services

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23640 by Mr Andy Kerr on 8 March 2006, whether it will provide an update on when it expects to publish the review of NHS genetic services.

Mr Andy Kerr: The report is still under consideration.

NHS Services

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to reduce waiting times for genetic test results, in light of the delays highlighted in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer report, Testing Times: Waiting for Genetic Test Results.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Genetics Service continues to look at ways to develop and improve the service – including waiting time performance where appropriate. The recent review of Genetics in Relation to Healthcare Scotland considered ways in which NHS genetics services could be strengthened to improve all aspects of the service to patients and to cope with increasing demand. This Report and the Scottish Executive response is expected to be published shortly.

NHS Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time was for results of (a) breast cancer and (b) genetic tests in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: For those presenting with signs and symptoms a variety of tests may be used to diagnose breast cancer either on their own or in combination. These include physical examination, mammography, ultrasound, needle (core) biopsy, fine needle aspiration, blood tests and excision biopsy. Waiting time information for the results from these tests is not held centrally.

  Regarding the average time for results of genetic tests I refer the member to the question S2W-26943, answered on 24 July 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

NHS Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS beds in specialist facilities are available for spinal cord-injured patients and how many were available in (a) 1990, (b) 1995, (c) 2000 and (d) 2005.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the average number of available staffed beds in spinal units for the years ending 31 March 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 is shown in the following table.

  

Year ending 31 March
Average Available Staffed Beds


1990
49


1995
48


2000
48


2005
48

NHS Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which accident and emergency departments have been (a) closed and (b) downgraded in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information is not held in the form requested. NHS boards are responsible for the configuration of accident and emergency services in the areas they serve. Any changes to these services have been and will continue to be made in the interest of maintaining appropriate access to specialist services and also to local services through the development of community casualty units.

  The number of NHS locations recorded as providing an accident and emergency service for each financial year is shown below. The list includes services which are provided other than on a 24-hour, 7-day basis, and services provided by a range of clinical staff including GPs and nurses.

  

Year
Number


1995
103


1996
100


1997
103


1998
98


1999
97


2000
96


2001
97


2002
97


2003
95


2004
96


2005
95



  Source: ISD(S)1.

NHS Staff

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were employed in managerial and administrative posts in (a) the NHS and (b) each NHS board on (i) 31 March 1996, (ii) 31 March 2001 and (iii) the most recent date for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on staff employed in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at: www.isdscotland.org/workforce .

  Section G gives details of Administrative and estates staff. In particular, table G2 shows the headcount of administrative and managerial staff by NHS board, in each year from 1995.

  Prior to 2003, figures were published as at 30 September. From 2003, figures are published every six months at 30 September and 31 March. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2005.

NHS Staff

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26836 by Mr Andy Kerr on 22 June 2006, what percentage of staff affected by Agenda for Change have had to wait more than (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months to hear the outcomes of their job evaluations.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have absconded from prison in each of the last 15 years; how many were subsequently recaptured, and for what period of time each absconder was at large.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The number of people who have absconded from prison in each of the last 15 years is contained in the following table:

  

Year
Absconds


1990-91
119


1991-92
142


1992-93
134


1993-94
148


1994-95
100


1995-96
115


1996-97
123


1997-98
58


1998-99
43


1999-2000
51


2000-01
52


2001-02
52


2002-03
56


2003-04
56


2004-05
80



  Of these prisoners there are currently 10 prisoners unlawfully at large.

  The data on how long each individual prisoner was at large is not available.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for medical staff of any discipline there are in each prison.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what premiums are paid to medical staff of any discipline to work in prisons.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) maximum, (b) median and (c) average times are to fill medical vacancies in prisons, broken down by category of medical staff.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Medical services in prisons are provided by external contractors. Employment matters are therefore the responsibility of the applicable contractor. Currently, there is a regular medical service to all prisons.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) serious assaults, (b) other assaults and (c) other criminal acts committed in prisons have been referred to the police or prosecution service for action in each of the last three years, broken down by prison and, of these, how many resulted in a decision not to proceed.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Such acts are normally reported to the police but no consistent record is maintained, nor is SPS routinely notified of the outcome by the police or the Crown.

Scottish Enterprise

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24928 by Nicol Stephen, on how many occasions it has revised Scottish Enterprise’s budget (a) upwards and (b) downwards in each year since 1999 and in how many years it did not revise the budget.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is contained in the following table. There are two opportunities for budgetary revision within the financial year, as shown in the table.

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Budget Act
375.856
384.866
394.598
419.056
433.579
439.562
431.044


Autumn revision
*
386.684
394.444
415.231
465.880
431.967
445.527


Spring revision
398.000
392.824
398.226
422.905
453.037
433.904
444.089



  *Note: Only one budgetary revision occurred in 1999-2000.

  These figures are on a cash basis. Since the introduction of resource accounting in 2003-04, Scottish Enterprise has received annually an additional £9.622 million of non-cash provision.

Special Advisers

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the special advisers currently in post are appointed by the (a) First Minister and (b) Deputy First Minister; what the pay bands for such advisers are for 2006-07; how many advisers are in each band, and what the total cost was of employing its special advisers in 2005-06.

Mr Tom McCabe: There are nine Special Advisers appointed by the First Minister and three appointed by the Deputy First Minister.

  

Appointed by First Minister
Appointed by Deputy First Minster


Douglas Campbell
Matthew Clark


Adrian Colwell
Sam Ghibaldan


Laura Greatrex
Andy Myles


Peter Hastie
 


Rachel McEwan 
 


Derek Munn
 


Danny Phillips
 


Andy Rowe
 


Douglas Trainer
 



  The number of Special Advisers in each pay band is:

  

Pay Band 1
5


Pay Band 2
4


Pay Band 3
2


Pay Band 4
1



  The total cost for the 11 Special Advisers in post in 2005-2006 including ERNIC and employer pension contribution was £709,309. Details are:

  

 
Salary
ERNIC
Pension Contribution
Total


2005-2006
£565,051
£69,572
£74,686
£709,309



  The revised pay bands for 2006-07 are:

  Special Advisers Pay Bands 2006-2007

  

Pay Band
1 April 2006


1
£38,100 – £49,300


2
£49,301 – £63,100


3
£62,800 - £81,100


3 (premium)
£80,700 - £97,500


4
£84,000 - £100,900

Voluntary Sector

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the voluntary sector is represented on the National Workforce Plus Partnership.

Allan Wilson: I am currently considering the overall structure of the National Workforce Plus Partnership. However, I can confirm that the voluntary sector will be represented.